Imaginative Play with Hawthorn Class

Imaginative play is characterised as a type of play that is mainly driven by children’s imaginations. People may also call it ‘make believe’ or ‘playing pretend’.

Children might use props including costumes or masks, but the main source of play comes from children’s creativity. They might be re-enacting an experience they’ve had or something that interests them. The importance of imaginative play involves practising communication, language, and social skills in a safe space where the child is in control. They can practise making different decisions and use their imaginations to solve problems and find solutions. Plus, it’s loads of fun!

Children can pretend to have all kinds of fun adventures based on real-life experiences or fantasy stories they’ve read. They may also include elements of symbolic play, where they imagine objects are other things, like using a twig as a magic wand or a stack of boxes as a castle.